"Hold on to this money first. It'll be easier to pay when we go shopping later."
Xavi was a bit overwhelmed—he had never held so much silver before!
Normally, it was the wife who managed the household finances. Yet, Jewel trusted him enough to hand him so much silver without hesitation. Wasn't she afraid he might run off with it?
"Why are you spacing out? Take it already!" It was heavy…
Jewel held the silver out for a while, and her arm was getting tired. She still had about fifty taels in her bundle—it was weighing her down.
Ugh, silver is really heavy in ancient times… I wonder where I can exchange it for banknotes, and if that's easy to find…
"Oh."
Xavi took the silver and gripped it tightly in his hand, guarding it carefully. He felt a warm wave in his heart because of the trust Jewel silently gave him.
"Let's hire a carriage first, then we'll go shopping."
As she talked, Jewel held her husband's hand and led him to the nearby carriage rental.
They first went to a grain store and bought plenty of fine rice, white flour, spices, and cooking oil. Then they went to a clothing shop to buy fabrics, ready-made clothes, and bedding…
Running around shopping and carrying things made both of them exhausted by the end. Their legs were sore, and they didn't want to move anymore.
The carriage was packed full of cloth, clothes, bedding, grains, condiments, dishes, and daily supplies.
Once they'd finished shopping, Jewel and her husband rested inside the carriage. Xavi was so tired he slumped into the seat, already looking sleepy.
Jewel happened to glance outside and saw some silver bangles in a jewelry shop across the street. They looked quite well-made.
She couldn't help it—she still had a girlish heart. Pretty jewelry always caught her eye. But then she remembered—this was a matriarchal world. If she wore things meant for men, wouldn't it look strange?
Forget it, she'd just admire them from afar…
Wait a second! Jewelry for men?
She had a husband now! When he married her, they spent less than three taels, so he probably didn't have anything nice.
Jewel decided to go into the jewelry shop. Looking at the dozing little guy beside her, she didn't want to wake him up.
She carefully got off the carriage and told the carriage woman where she was going. Then she walked into the shop across the street.
She picked two pairs of silver bracelets—one simple and elegant for her father, and one delicate and stylish for her lovely husband. After paying, she quickly returned to the carriage.
At that moment, Xavi was looking out the window, trying to find her. Jewel spotted him. When he woke up and didn't see her, he got a little scared. But after asking the carriage woman and finding out she went to a jewelry store, he relaxed. Seeing her come back, he immediately called out, "Jewel!"
"You're awake?" Jewel climbed into the carriage and gently held his hand. "You looked so comfy sleeping, so I didn't wake you. Poor Xavi, today really wore you out."
"When are we going home?" Xavi asked. He was really tired, and it was getting late.
"Right now. If you're sleepy, go ahead and nap—I'll hold you." As soon as she spoke, she tapped the carriage wall, and the driver started heading toward Xie Village, just as they'd agreed.
"Mm~" Xavi responded softly, then slowly drifted off again…
After sunset, the sky turned dark. Not many people were out in Xie Village. The villagers usually worked during the day and went to bed once it got dark. Only Jewel's father was still waiting at the door, looking anxiously down the road.
Whose carriage was that?
Not many families in the village owned carriages. You only saw them in town. Could it be his daughter and son-in-law rented one to come home?
He walked closer and had a stronger feeling that it must be them. Who else would come back at this hour?
He knew his daughter and her husband were close—he'd seen them hugging in the courtyard earlier. He didn't listen in out of respect, but he was glad to see they got along.
It made him happy. He knew a loving couple meant a happy home.
He wasn't like those awful fathers-in-law who made life hard for their sons-in-law and caused endless fights. His home wouldn't end up like that chaotic Li family next door, always shouting and arguing.
From the carriage window, Jewel saw her father waiting. She suddenly felt a lump in her throat. Back in her old life, she had been too busy with work and hardly made time for her parents. She rarely noticed how much they cared for her.
She remembered how many times she'd promised to come home for dinner, only to cancel at the last minute because of work…
But now, in this new life, she had a father who loved her unconditionally and a husband who depended on her. She was determined not to let "family time" be a regret again. She would be there for them, take care of them, and live a life completely different from her past.
"Xavi, wake up—we're home." Jewel gently patted his back and whispered to the sleepy boy in her arms.
"Jewel~" Xavi was still drowsy. He blinked slowly and snuggled closer to her.
"Come on, let's go inside. My father's waiting for us." Jewel coaxed him. Seeing her little husband acting like a sleepy kitten, she couldn't help but smile.
"Your father's here?" As soon as Xavi heard that, he quickly sat up. He didn't want to keep his father-in-law waiting.
Jewel's father saw the two of them when she lifted the curtain. He walked along with the carriage to the front door.
"Father."
"Father-in-law."
They both greeted him as they got down.
"Ah, you've been gone so long—I've been waiting for ages…" Jewel's father took his son-in-law's arm. "Did you hitch a ride back?"
"Father-in-law, we rented the carriage. Everything inside belongs to us," Xavi explained honestly.
"Father, we'll explain everything later. Let's move the stuff inside first," Jewel interrupted. She wanted to finish unloading so the driver could head home—it was already quite late.
The driver even helped carry a big sack of rice into the kitchen. With four people, they finished unloading everything quickly.